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Hayes majority of nearly four thousand。 Naturally the Democrats sent in contesting returns； but the presidency was really won when the Republicans secured in Louisiana and Florida returns which were regular in form。 But hoping to force Congress to go behind the returns； the Democrats carried up contests also from Oregon and South Carolina； whose votes properly belonged to Hayes。
The final contest came in Congress over the counting of the electoral votes。 The Constitution provides that 〃the President of the Senate shall； in the presence of the Senate and the House of Representatives； open all the Certificates； and the Votes shall then be counted。〃 But there was no agreement as to where authority lay for deciding disputed votes。 Never before had the presidency turned on a disputed count。 From 1864 to 1874 the 〃twenty…second joint rule〃 had been in force under which either House might reject a certificate。 The votes of Georgia in 1868 and of Louisiana in 1879 had thus been thrown out。 But the rule had not been readopted by the present Congress； and the Republicans very naturally would not listen to a proposal to readopt it now。
With the country apparently on the verge of civil war； Congress finally created by law an Electoral Commission to which were to be referred all disputes about the counting of votes and the decision of which was to be final unless both Houses concurred in rejecting it。 The act provided that the commission should consist of five senators； five representatives； four designated associate justices of the Supreme Court； and a fifth associate justice to be chosen by these four。 While nothing was said in the act about the political affiliations of the members of the commission； every one understood that the House would select three Democrats and two Republicans； and that the Senate would name two Democrats and three Republicans。 It was also well known that of the four justices designated two were Republicans and two Democrats； and it was tacitly agreed that the fifth would be Justice David Davis； an 〃independent。〃 But at the last moment Davis was elected Senator by the Illinois Legislature and declined to serve on the Commission。 Justice Bradley； a Republican； was then named as the fifth justice； and in this way the Republicans obtained a majority on the Commission。
The Democrats deserve the credit for the Electoral Commission。 The Republicans did not favor it； even after they were sure of a party majority on it。 They were conscious that they had a weak case； and they were afraid to trust it to judges of the Supreme Court。 Their fears were groundless； however； since all important questions were decided by an 8 to 7 vote； Bradley voting with his fellow Republicans。 Every contested vote was given to Hayes； and with 185 electoral votes he was declared elected on March 2； 1877。
Ten years before； Senator Morton of Indiana had said： 〃I would have been in favor of having the colored people of the South wait a few years until they were prepared for the suffrage； until they were to some extent educated； but the necessities of the times forbade that； the conditions of things required that they should be brought to the polls at once。〃 Now the condition of things required that some arrangement be made with the Southern whites which would involve a complete reversal of the situation of 1867。 In order to secure the unopposed succession of Hayes； to defeat filibustering which might endanger the decision of the Electoral Commission； politicians who could speak with authority for Hayes assured influential Southern politicians； who wanted no more civil war but who did want home rule； that an arrangement might be made which would be satisfactory to both sides。
So the contest was ended。 Hayes was to be President； the South； with the Negro； was to be left to the whites； there would be no further military aid to carpetbag governments。 In so far as the South was concerned； it was a fortunate settlement better； indeed； than if Tilden had been inducted into office。 The remnants of the reconstruction policy were surrendered by a Republican President； the troops were soon withdrawn； and the three radical states fell at once under the control of the whites。 Hayes could not see in his election any encouragement to adopt a vigorous radical position； and Congress was deadlocked on party issues for fifteen years。 As a result the radical Republicans had to develop other interests； and the North gradually accepted the Southern situation。
Although the radical policy of reconstruction came to an end in 1877； some of its results were more lasting。 The Southern States were burdened heavily with debt； much of which had been fraudulently incurred。 There now followed a period of adjustment； of refunding； scaling； and repudiation； which not only injured the credit of the states but left them with enormous debts。 The Democratic party under the leadership of former Confederates began its regime of strict economy； race fairness； and inelastic Jeffersonianism。 There was a political rest which almost amounted to stagnation and which the leaders were unwilling to disturb by progressive measures lest a developing democracy make trouble with the settlement of 1877。
The undoing of reconstruction was not entirely completed with the understanding of 1877。 There remained a large but somewhat shattered Republican party in the South； with control over county and local government in many Negro districts。 Little by little the Democrats rooted out these last vestiges of Negro control； using all the old radical methods and some improvements；* such as tissue ballots； the shuffling of ballot boxes； bribery； force； and redistricting； while some regions were placed entirely under executive control and were ruled by appointed commissions。 With the good government which followed these changes a deadlocked Congress showed no great desire to interfere。 The Supreme Court came to the aid of the Democrats with decisions in 1875； 1882； and 1883 which drew the teeth from the Enforcement Laws； and Congress in 1894 repealed what was left of these regulations。
*See 〃The New South〃； by Holland Thompson （in 〃The Chronicles of America〃）。
Under such discouraging conditions the voting strength of the Republicans rapidly melted away。 The party organization existed for the Federal offices only and was interested in keeping down the number of those who desired to be rewarded。 As a consequence； the leaders could work in harmony with those Democratic chiefs who were content with a 〃solid South〃 and local home rule。 The Negroes of the Black Belt； with less enthusiasm and hope； but with quite the same docility as in 1868； began to vote as the Democratic leaders directed。 This practice brought up in another form the question of 〃Negro government〃 and resulted in a demand from the people of the white counties that the Negro be put entirely out of politics。 The answer came between 1890 and 1902 in the form of new and complicated election laws or new constitutions which in various ways shut out the Negro from the polls and left the government to the whites。 Three times have the Black Belt regions dominated the Southern States： under slavery； when the master class controlled； under